From thick to thin

#24

Naomi's pov
I laid in my bed trying to force myself to sleep perhaps I'll be able to forget everything for a moment. The wet pillow stared me in the face, reminding me of the very thing i wanted to forget.

It turned out my dad wasn't just a cheat, he was worse. He got married to a white woman a long time ago so he could get his green card and only told my mom about it after they had gotten married here in Nigeria, so she won't be able to leave him.

He swore to her it meant nothing and he promised that was the end,  she believed him. Only for her to find out he was still seeing her when he travels. He tried denying the ongoing affair but his son stood as a testament of his infidelity, I'm not even sure you could call it that, because they are married too.

Mom had kept it all from me. The pain, her bitterness. She kept it all from me so I won't have to go through this and know my father for who he truly is. Now it made sense to me why they never slept together in the same room.

I sat up on my bed. At this point it had gotten obvious I wasn't going to get any sleep this night. I needed to escape from this feeling that choked me up from within. I quietly paced down to my dad's wine cellar. The shiny bottles glared at me as if inviting me. I reached for a bottle not checking the name or percentage.

It wasn't my first time drinking alcohol. On few occasions I had taken sips of left overs when my dad had friends over. Although I had never gotten drunk.

In no time I was back up in my room with a bottle on my lap. I contemplated using a cup before I realised I'll have to make another journey to the kitchen to get a cup.

The familiar burning sensation sizzled down my throat as I took a gulp. My body hadn't fully adjusted  to the taste of alcohol.  I covered my mouth with my left hand as I coughed while my eyes turned watery as if they had been exposed to onions.

I downed another gulp of the burning liquid. My head began to feel light.

Somehow I wasn't so concerned anymore about my dad and the whole affair. All that mattered to me at the moment was nothing, I felt absolutely relieved. Even Ella and Kelly's fight seemed to not matter anymore  and then it hit me. Kelly

 
I imagined Kelly seeing me right now with a bottle of alcohol in my hand. Kelly had been through alot with her dad's death and everything happening to her plus the fact that she stayed in a bad neighbourhood and  with all that Kelly would never turn to things like this. She would always say that alcohol would make you feel better for a while but never take the problem away. And she was right, I needed to face this head on.

I stumbled out of bed. I was sure I was drunk but I was still sober enough to think straight.

I needed to talk to someone. I was too ashamed to bring this up with Kelly and ella plus with all that is going on with them right now it won't be easy. I decided to talk to Mom again.

Doing my best not to trip over as I swayed from side to side counting my steps to Mom's room. Hoping that she wasn't asleep.

As i got close to her door I contemplated entering. Worried if she'll notice the  oozing stench of alcohol coming from my body. While I stood there I could hear her voice. Oh she's awake, that's good.

Curiously I put my ears close to the door so I was able to make out what she was saying. She seemed to be talking to someone over the phone.

"What do you want me to do—damn it, She knows everything already!"

My dad. My blood boiled at the very thought of him. It made my tummy bitter. I wondered where this sudden intense hatred for him came from, maybe it was the alcohol.

"I can't take this anymore I'm tired jide."

I could here the strain in her voice as she spoke. She sounded weak and defeated. This was a side to mom I had never seen before. A side I would soon come to be familiar with.

Dad must have said something offensive because she sounded fired up now.

"I should keep my voice down! Why? So your wife can sleep!"

Mum acknowledging the other woman as dad's wife must have felt like poison in her mouth. I had heard enough.  My parents fighting was the last thing I needed right now. I turned to go back to my room but stopped dead in my tracks as I heard her drop the last bomb.

"Jide i have told you this before and I mean it this time—i want a divorce!"